Shelf display article

ABSTRACT

A shelf display device comprising a folded element having a horizontal leaf, and a depending vertical leaf, the horizontal leaf being adapted for placement on a shelf with the vertical leaf in front of the front edge of the shelf. The vertical leaf has a cut-out therein extending horizontally proximate the fold line to expose the front edge of the shelf. The vertical leaf has opposite marginal edge portions at the lateral edges of the cutout by which the vertical leaf is integrally connected to the horizontal leaf. A bridge portion is connected by interlocking tabs to the marginal edge portions of the vertical leaf and the bridge portion extends across the vertical leaf and above the level of the horizontal leaf while leaving the cut-out substantially open to enable viewing of tags mounted on the edge of the shelf.

United States Patent [1 1 Langwell July 23, 1974 SHELF DISPLAY ARTICLE [75] Inventor: John D. Langwell, Freeport, N.Y.

[73] Assignee: Herman Alexander, Merrick, N.Y.

[22] Filed: Sept. 28, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 401,885

Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Assistant ExaminerWenceslao J. Contreras Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Roberts & Cohen [5 7 ABSTRACT A shelf display device comprising a folded element having a horizontal leaf, and a depending vertical leaf, the horizontal leaf being adapted for placement on a shelf with the vertical leaf in front of the front edge of the shelf. The vertical leaf has a cut-out therein extending horizontally proximate the fold line to expose the front edge of the shelf. The vertical leaf has opposite marginal edge portions at the lateral edges of the cut-out by which the vertical leaf is integrally connected to the horizontal leaf. A bridge portion is connected by interlocking tabs to the marginal edge portions of the vertical leaf and the bridge portion extends across the vertical leaf and above the level of the horizontal leaf while leaving the cut-out substantially open to enable viewing of tags mounted on the edge of the shelf.

11 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 1 SHELF DISPLAY ARTICLE BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to a shelf display article and particularly to a folded sheet whose horizontal leaf is supported on a shelf and whose vertical leaf hangs in front of the shelf and is provided with a cut-out so that tags mounted on the shelf can be seen through the cutout.

2. Prior Art It is known to mount a folded sheet with its horizontal leaf on a shelf and its vertical leaf hanging in front of the shelf. Such sheets are used for informational or advertising purposes in supermarkets and the like, and the vertical leaf frequently carries a stack of tear-off sheets intended to be taken by the consumer.

Recently, the edges of the shelves have been utilized to furnish pertinent data to the consumer regarding cost, quantity and unit cost of the items being sold. Hence, the folded sheets as currently used are unsatisfactory as they obscure the edge of the shelf.

Various attempts have been made to provide a shelf display article which enables viewing of the edge of the shelf on which the article is mounted, however, these have not been found to be acceptable for various reasons.

The various attempts have included forming a window or cut-out in the article. However, this has weakened the article to such an extent that when a stack of tear-off sheets is affixed to the vertical leaf, the article becomes quickly torn after only several sheets are removed.

If the thickness of the article is increased or it is made from a stronger material, i.e. plastics, the cost of the article becomes prohibitive and there is unnecessary utilization of extra material. Also, the area of the article which is cut-out is lost for printing purposes.

Other proposals included the use of pre-formed sheets of complex shapes and arrangements but these proved difficult to assemble in operating position at the place of use and necessitated either skill on the part of the user or complex instruction.

Furthermore, when the article is made from plastic and has a complex shape, the article could not be made to lie flat for shipping purposes. Additionally, the cost of the article increases rapidly as the article becomes more complex and complicated to make.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the invention is to provide an article of the character described above, which is free from the deficiencies of the prior art.

A further object of the invention is to provide an article which is simple to make and economical in cost.

A further object of the invention is to provide an article which provides compensating printing surface for the area lost by the cut-out.

A further object of the invention is to provide an article which lies flat for shipping and is easily assembled by unskilled personnel at the point of use.

A further object of the invention is to provide an article which need not be made of stronger material and can be made of conventional cardboard, and

A further object of the invention is to provide an article which will have the additional capability of retaining consumer goods placed on the shelf.

In accordance with the above and further objects, the invention contemplates a shelf display article comprising a folded element having a horizontal leaf, and a depending vertical leaf joined to the horizontal leaf at a fold line, the horizontal leaf being adapted for placement on a shelf with the vertical leaf in front of the front edge of the shelf, said vertical leaf having a cutout therein extending horizontally thereacross proximate said fold line to expose the front edge of the shelf, said vertical leaf having opposite marginal edge portions at the lateral edges of said cut-out by which the vertical leaf is integrally connected to the horizontal leaf, and a bridge portion connected to the marginal edge portions of the vertical leaf and extending across said vertical leaf and above the level of the horizontal leaf while leaving said cut-out substantially open. Said connection means comprises interlocking tabs on said bridge portion and the marginal edge portions, said tabs facing in opposite directions. Said tabs are formed by a curved cut in the associated material and the tabs are interlocked by'respectively engaging the tabs in corresponding cuts.

In further accordance with the invention the tabs on the bridge member are so spaced with respect to the tabs on the marginal edge portions that to interengage the tabs the vertical leaf is flexed.

In further accordance with the invention, said bridge portion has a lower edge extending between said marginal portions which is below the level of the horizontal leaf.

The invention will next be described hereafter with reference to a specific embodiment thereof which is illustrated in the appended drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the shelf display article installed on a shelf,

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the shelf display article, and

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view on enlarged scale taken on line 33 in FIG. 1 through a portion of the assembled article.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawing, therein is seen s shelf display device 1 according to the invention adapted for placement on a shelf 2 in the manner shown in FIG. 1. As seen, the edge of shelf 2 contains a number of tags 3 giving information concerning the displayed goods 4 i.e. quantity, cost and unit price.

The display device according to the invention is intended for being mounted on shelf 2 while not interferring with the display of the tags 3. The display device is intended to serve any number of purposes among which include further information concerning the displayed goods and especially the use of tear-off sheets on pads 5 for promotional purposes. Such pads are comprised of a number of sheets of material 6 which are affixed by suitable staples 7 to the display device 1 which forms a hacker for such sheets of material. As suitable examples of such staples which permit ready removal of the sheets, reference is made to my earlier US. Pat. Nos. 3,516,687 and 3,527,477.

While it is currently known to use ordinary folded sheets of material as display devices, it has become a problem to provide such folded sheets of material with windows in order not to obscure the tags 3. It has been I found that by merely providing a window in the folded sheets, such sheets become greatly weakened and cannot withstand the rigor of removal of the sheets 6 from pad 5. Such folded sheets with windows quickly become useless due to tearing of the material remaining on opposite sides of the window. This is especially true when the folded sheets are made of relatively thin material as is desired to minimize cost and the use of paper products.

The invention provides a display device which is remarkably suited for the above purposes and the display device comprises a folded sheet 10 having a horizontal leaf l1 and a depending vertical leaf 12 joined to the horizontal leaf at a fold-line l3 and a bridge portion or reinforcement 14 joined to folded sheet 10. Not only does the bridge portion reinforce the sheet 10 to enable the sheet 10 to withstand the pulls exerted in removing sheets 6 from pad 5 but also the bridge portion provides a surface on which indicia can be printed for advertising or informational-purposes to the consumer, the surface of the bridge portion compensating forthe lost area of the window needed for revealing the tags 3. Ad-

ditionally, the bridge portion serves to retain the goods 4 on the shelf thereby preventing their accidental fall.

As seen in FIG. 2 the vertical leaf 12 is provided with a cut-out 15 extending horizontally across the leaf proximate fold line 13 and forming marginal edge portions 16 at the lateral edges of the cut-out 15 by which the vertical leaf 12 remains integrally connected to the horizontal leaf 11. The cut-out 15 serves as the window to enable the viewing of tags 3 on the edge of shelf 2.

The bridge portion 14 has depending legs 17 at opposite ends thereof for attachment to the edge portions 16 of the vertical leaf 12. For this purpose, legs 17 and portions 16 are provided with respective curved cuts or slots 17a, and 160 which face in opposite directions and form associated tabs 17b, 16b. In order to attach legs 17 to edge portions 16, the tabs 17b and 16b are interlocked by inserting one tab into the corresponding slot and vice versa. The slots are vertically oriented in the legs 17 and edge portions 16 and this is especially important to minimize the weakening effect of the slots in the edge portions. It is also important for the slots 16a to be horizontally centered in portion 16 so as to be at a maximum spacing from the edges thereof to minimize tearing of the edge portions when it is repeatedly stressed by tearing off of the sheets 6 from the pad 5.

In order to greatly strengthen the assembled display device, the slots 17a and tabs 17b are so spaced apart horizontally with respect to the horizontal spacing of the slots 16a and tabs 16b that it is necessary to flex the sheet 10 to interengage the tabs, and upon release of the sheet the tabs interlock under stress to hold the assembly taut. When the leaf 11 is folded flat, the tabs become positively locked in place and provide a substantially rigid connection between the bridge portion 14 and folded sheet 10. The bridge portion tightly upstands from the vertical leaf l2 and is capable of resisting substantial force from the goods to retain these on the shelf. Moreover, the force applied to leaf 12 when tearing off sheets 6 from pad 5 is transmitted via the interlocked tabs to the bridge portion which takes all the load off the fold line 13 at the marginal edge portions 15 which is the zone of least resistance and the place where an unreinforced folded sheet has the greatest tendency to tear.

Referring to FIG. 3 herein is shown an important relationship between the edge 18 of bridge portion 14 and the upper edge 19 of cut-out l5. Namely when the bridge portion 14 is engaged on sheet 10 by means of the interlocked tabs, the edge 18 is slightly below the edge 19 to cover edge 19, fold line 13 and the horizontal leaf 11 to minimize damage thereto and a potential tear which could weaken the sheet 10 and jeopardize the integrity of the assembly.

The shelf display device has the particular advantage that the bridge portion 14 can be engaged with the sheet 10 and the assembly shipped flat in such preassembled state. To facilitate shipping and minimize material, the bridge portion is co-extensive in width with sheet 10 so that the lateral edges of the bridge portion and the sheet are aligned. At the site of use, the sheet 10 is merely folded along fold line 13 and the display device is ready for utilization. No skill is therefore required at the point of use for assembly or installation.

Additionally, by making the bridge portion 14 and the sheet as separate elements, this opens up great possibilities in utilization insofar that the bridge portions 14 and sheets 10 can be easily printed separately optimally in different colors or the like for whatever purposes are deemed suitable. Also, if desired, the bridge portion can be more elaborately decorated as for example with lenticular screens which furnish a plurality of images dependent on the position of the viewer. The use of the separate bridge portion facilitates the application of such visual displays. Furthermore, the bridge portion 14 can be made of a different material than the sheet 10, specifically a plastic material since it is held flat. It is not desirable to make the sheet 10 of plastic material since the provision of the fold usually prevents the sheet from lying flat for shipment; and also the cost of plastic material is prohibitive. Preferably, the sheet 10 and the bridge portion 14 are made of cardboard or similar relatively inexpensive paper product.

In use, the leaf 11 is placed on shelf 2 and the leaf l2 hangs vertically in front of the edge of the shelf. The thus placed article 1 can be secured in this position by placing the goods 4 on the leaf 11. As an independent securing means, an adhesive strip can be provided on the leaf 11 along the edge thereof remote from fold line 13 and when the leaf is placed on shelf 2 it can be adhered in place. The adhesive strip can be protected by a cover strip which is removed at the time of use as is entirely conventional.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment thereof, numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art which do not depart from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A shelf display device comprising a folded element having a horizontal leaf, and a depending vertical leaf joined to the horizontal leaf at a fold line, the horizontal leaf being adapted for placement on a shelf with the vertical leaf in front of the front edge of the shelf, said vertical leaf having a cut-out therein extending horizontally thereacross proximate said fold line to expose the front edge of the shelf, said vertical leaf having opposite marginal edge portions at the lateral edges of said cut-out by which the vertical leaf is integrally connected to the horizontal leaf, and a bridge portion connected to the marginal edge portions of the vertical leaf and extending across said vertical leaf and above the level of the horizontal leaf while leaving said cut-out substantially open.

2. A shelf display device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bridge portion and said marginal edge portions include connection means to hold the bridge portion in taut condition on the vertical leaf.

3. A shelf display device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said folded element and bridge portion are made from cardboard.

4. A shelf display device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said connection means comprises interlocking tabs on said bridge portion and the marginal edge portions, said tabs facing in opposite directions.

5. A shelf display device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said tabs are formed by a curved cut in the associated material.

6. A shelf display device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the tabs are interlocked by respectively engaging the tabs in corresponding cuts.

7. A shelf display device as claimed in claim 6 wherein the tabs on the bridge member are so spaced with respect to the tabs on the marginal edge portions that to interengage the tabs the vertical leaf is flexed.

8. A shelf display device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said cuts are vertically oriented in said marginal edge portions substantially midway thereacross.

9. A shelf display device as claimed in claim 8 wherein said bridge portion has lateral edges which align with the lateral edges of the vertical leaf when the bridge portion is installed in said vertical leaf.

10. A shelf display device as claimed in claim 8 wherein said bridge portion has a lower edge extending between said marginal portions which is below the level of the horizontal leaf.

1]. A shelf display device as claimed in claim 1 comprising an assembly of removable sheets stapled to the vertical leaf which forms a backer for said assembly. 

1. A shelf display device comprising a folded element having a horizontal leaf, and a depending vertical leaf joined to the horizontal leaf at a fold line, the horizontal leaf being adapted for placement on a shelf with the vertical leaf in front of the front edge of the shelf, said vertical leaf having a cut-out therein extending horizontally thereacross proximate said fold line to expose the front edge of the shelf, said vertical leaf having opposite marginal edge portions at the lateral edges of said cut-out by which the vertical leaf is integrally connected to the horizontal leaf, and a bridge portion connected to the marginal edge portions of the vertical leaf and extending across said vertical leaf and above the level of the horizontal leaf while leaving said cut-out substantially open.
 2. A shelf display device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bridge portion and said marginal edge portions include connection means to hold the bridge portion in taut condition on the vertical leaf.
 3. A shelf display device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said folded element and bridge portion are made from cardboard.
 4. A shelf display device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said connection means comprises interlocking tabs on said bridge portion and the marginal edge portions, said tabs facing in opposite directions.
 5. A shelf display device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said tabs are formed by a curved cut in the associated material.
 6. A shelf display device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the tabs are interlocked by respectively engaging the tabs in corresponding cuts.
 7. A shelf display device as claimed in claim 6 wherein the tabs on thE bridge member are so spaced with respect to the tabs on the marginal edge portions that to interengage the tabs the vertical leaf is flexed.
 8. A shelf display device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said cuts are vertically oriented in said marginal edge portions substantially midway thereacross.
 9. A shelf display device as claimed in claim 8 wherein said bridge portion has lateral edges which align with the lateral edges of the vertical leaf when the bridge portion is installed in said vertical leaf.
 10. A shelf display device as claimed in claim 8 wherein said bridge portion has a lower edge extending between said marginal portions which is below the level of the horizontal leaf.
 11. A shelf display device as claimed in claim 1 comprising an assembly of removable sheets stapled to the vertical leaf which forms a backer for said assembly. 